Customers such as Eaton, YKK, Lockheed-Martin, Caterpillar and many others have used the Vacom system to manage their highly complex oily wastewater generated from the manufacture of metal parts. Machine tool oils, heavy metals, suspended solids, phosphates, surfactants and rust inhibitors such as Amines are removed and treated in a single step Vacom system. The result is clean water and a high BTU concentrate with oil contents ranging from 60-80% capable of use in a waste fuels program. The result is a residual waste with value rather than the generation of hazardous waste.
Just consider the number and types of plants:
Simply put, water conservation and treatment is crucial to the economy and viability of industry across the globe. Many companies have made large investments in on-site wastewater treatment to reduce the load on municipal systems and to take advantage of the valuable water resources for reuse. In fact, the World Bank has declared that water is “the new oil” in terms of its value to industry and human civilization.
Oily wastewater from manufacturing processes can be a challenge to treat due to the presence of oils, surfactants, rust inhibitors, heavy metals and other contaminants. The traditional approach has been to use a series of steps including oil/water separation, chemical flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, sludge dewatering and disposal. This approach is not only costly in terms of capital investment, but also in terms of the energy required to operate and maintain the system. In addition, the effluent from this type of system is often still not clean enough for discharge to a POTW or other receiving stream.
The Vacom System offers a single-step solution to the problem of oily wastewater treatment. The system uses a unique application of MVR evaporation to remove all of the contaminants from the wastewater. The result is clean water that can be reused, discharged to a POTW, or a receiving stream. In addition, the system produces a concentrate that can be used as fuel in a waste-to-energy program.